Strategic Intentions Survey

The Seafish Economics Team is carrying out a study to
investigate the impact of the Landing Obligation on demersal and
nephrops vessel owners' strategic intentions for their
businesses.

The Landing Obligation is a major policy shift likely to impact
the fishing fleet in a number of ways. Research has shown that
vessel owners' alter their fishing behaviour and business
strategies to cope with changing management measures. This study
aims to identify and analyse the different strategies vessel
owners' intend to adopt and the factors influencing their decisions
to do so.

Data will be collected through face to face interviews with
vessel owners by a team of field researchers in conjunction with
this year's Fleet
Survey. Our aim is to speak to as many owners of demersal and
nephrops vessels as possible to represent the range and diversity
of opinions and strategies within these target fisheries.

We aim to conduct follow up surveys in the years following the
implementation of the Landing Obligation. This will allow us to
analyse how vessel owners' intentions change in response to the
Landing Obligation and identify the factors that allowed or
prevented them from carrying out their intentions for their
business. It is anticipated that the results of this study will
help inform policy, particularly measures to mitigate the impacts
of the Landing Obligation.

Our researchers will be on the Quayside from July to September
this year conducting this research alongside the Fleet Survey. For
more information or to register interest please contact Kirsten
Milliken on 0131 524 8668.